Record a purchase and pay later

Use Payables/Vendor Invoices

When you set up Payables, depending on your company's requirements, you can configure a single set or any number of sets of default account prompts and any number of sets of Payables control accounts. You assign each vendor a set of prompts and a set of control accounts. Then, when you enter an invoice, the G/L distributions box displays the affected vendor's account prompts for fast, efficient data entry. The system automatically posts charge invoices to the Payables control accounts and to the vendor account.

Use Payables/Create Payments

Then use the Create Payments window to select a batch of vendor invoices for payment via printed checks issued from Payables. You select the invoices by due date or by discount date, or you can select all unpaid invoices. You can modify the amount of payment to apply to any invoice. You can print and review the list, and remove any invoices you don't want to pay in the batch of checks. You can save and modify the list and print the checks at any time. When you select multiple invoices for payment in a single run, the system combines them on a single check.

If a payment entered results in an overpayment to a vendor, the overpayment amount will be available to apply as payment the next time you pay the vendor.

Record a purchase and pay immediately

Use Payables/Quick Checks

Sometimes a vendor performs repairs or other services at your place of business and expects payment upon leaving. You can enter the vendor invoice, enter the payment, and print a system check for the vendor on the spot. You can enter any number of quick checks in a session, but you'll most likely use the window to make printed check payments to occasional, "walk-in" vendors.

Click the Print checks button or press Alt-P when you're ready to print and post.

You enter one batch of invoices and print the checks to pay them per session. The batch is posted when you approve the printed checks.

(Use the Vendor Invoices function to enter the transaction if you pay the vendor immediately with a hand-written check.)

Record hand-written checks

Use Payables/Manual Payments

Many businesses write some or all their payment checks by hand. There are several ways to enter manual checks into the system. Use the window that suits your business.

Payables/Manual Payments

Use Payables/Manual Payments to record manual checks you've written to pay vendor invoices already entered into the system in the Payables/Vendor Invoices window. When you post a Payables payment, the system reduces the vendor account and the Payables control account.

When you enter a manual check for a vendor invoice payment, you apply the payment to one or more open vendor invoices previously created with the Payables/Vendor Invoices command. You can select which vendor invoices to apply the payment to, and the amount for each vendor invoice, or you can let the system assign the payment automatically. If the manual check results in an overpayment to a vendor, the overpayment amount will be available to apply as payment the next time you pay the vendor.

To create a vendor invoice and enter the manual check payment against it at the same time, use Payables/Vendor Invoices.

Use Bank Accounts/Dusbursements Checks

Disbursements Checks

Bank Accounts/Disbursements Checks lets you enter manual checks that are not intended to go through a control account. The system credits the bank account for the amount of the check and debits the G/L accounts you specify for the amounts you enter.

A useful feature of Disbursements Checks is vendor distribution prompts. When you record checks to vendors who are set up and assigned distribution account prompts in Payables, Disbursements Checks displays the distribution prompts when you select a vendor as the payee.

Prepare checks to pay outstanding bills

Use Payables/Create Payments

Use the Create Payments window to select a batch of vendor invoices for payment via printed checks issued from Payables. You select the invoices by due date or by discount date, or you can select all unpaid invoices. Click the folder icon beside the vendor's name or press the Spacebar to check and uncheck vendors. Vendors and invoices that are checked will be paid.

To change payment amounts, make sure the vendor is checked (to be paid). Press F2 on a highlighted vendor to open the Payment amount (total check) field for editing. Press F2 on a highlighted invoice to open the Applied amount (per invoice) field for editing. You can enter the amount you want to pay the vendor on this check and the amount to apply to each invoice.

Before printing the checks, use the Print selection button to print a report that shows the selected payments. This payment selection record is a pre-check batch listing that can be reviewed and approved. You can add or remove vendors and change payment amounts before printing the checks to vendors.

The Finish later button lets you save your work and close the window at any time. Reopen the window when you're ready to finish up the operation.

Once the selection is approved, print the checks. The Print Checks window gives you one last chance to review vendors, check amounts, and the starting check number. Press Esc or click the X in the top right corner if you want to return to the Create Payments window to change vendors or check amounts.

Set up regular, recurring expenses

Use Payables/Vendor Invoices

Many companies need to record regular, periodic vendor payments.

To create a batch of recurring Payables expenses, create a batch of the vendor invoices you want to post periodically, such as rent, telephone, electricity, company auto lease, ISP subscription, and so forth.

Don't post the batch now! Save the batch as a recurring batch. (Right-click the batch in the left pane and select "Make Recurring" from the options menu.) The batch folder becomes green to indicate that it's a recurring batch. You can edit a recurring batch at any time.

Use Payables/Vendor Invoices

To process your recurring expenses batches, either right-click the recurring batch and choose Copy for Posting or highlight the recurring batch and click the Post batch button. Edit the Batch Options window (batch period/year and name) if necessary. The system makes a copy of the recurring batch. If necessary, open the recurring batch copy in the data entry window to edit, add, or delete entries.